PBKS’ Shreyas Iyer is a Frontrunner as India’s White-Ball Captain

The legendary Rohit Sharma may stop playing for India in the ODI format. He is currently the captain of the Men in Blue. Experts and fans are wondering who could replace this great player in this position. The most likely candidate is Shreyas Iyer from Punjab Kings (PBKS).

Iyer’s Great 2025

Individual results have strengthened Shreyas Iyer’s case for captaincy over the past year. First, he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title in 2024. After that, he moved to PBKS and in 2025 guided them to their first league final in over a decade. In the decisive match, the franchise lost to Royal Challengers Bengaluru by six runs. For RCB, this is the first championship title in history.

In the IPL 2025, Iyer amassed 604 runs in 17 clashes. This highlighted his dual value as both a captain and a consistent performer with the bat.

National Recognition and Support

Shreyas’ influence on the game is evident not only in the IPL. This year, India won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and the player made a significant contribution to this result. It is not surprising that national selectors are seriously considering him for the position of captain of the Men in Blue.

Reports from The Indian Express and other sources confirm that Iyer has “officially entered the race” for India’s next white-ball captaincy.

India’s Captaincy Structure

India currently has three captains, each of whom leads the team in different formats. Sharma does this in ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav in T20Is, and Shubman Gill in Tests. Alas, Indian officials believe that such a fragmented approach cannot be highly effective.